Let's look at another side of Barkley Off Appropriations.-----Garagiola Stays State Senate Majority Leader.

Appointed by Senate President Mike Miller, who is now leading the fight to make counties pick up teacher pension costs, Garagiola was the deciding vote in the crucial 24-23 State Senate vote in favor of record setting increases in income, sales, car and corporate tax increases. Then he led the fight to increase the state income tax again so that in one year the state income tax increased up to 52.6%. The problem is that District 15, where Garagiola and I live, Germantown, Darnestown, Clarksburg, Poolesville and Potomac have more people paying that 52.6% state income tax increase than any other district in the state.

Also, Garagiola supported increases in the gasoline tax, which hits the drivers in our spread-out district hard. And he was a leader in the opposition to successful Question B on the November ballot for property tax relief. He thinks homeowners are his ATM.